From Thailis To Charpais: Indian Utility Items Are Being Rebranded As Luxury

A Japanese brand Puebco recently released a line of luxury products heavily inspired by Indian everyday items like grocery bags and tiffin boxes. One of these is the 'Indian Souvenir Bag', a large tote with colourful devanagri letters, reading, 'Ramesh Namkeen' or 'Chetak Sweets'. The bags are a clear reference to the ubiquitous branded grocery bags one would receive for free in Indian grocery or sweet shops. Described as “a must-have for any traveller or lover of Indian culture," the bag is retailing at a whopping $48 (about ₹4,100) on the high-fashion store Nordstrom. 

For context, Puebco, founded by Hirotaka Tanaka, manufactures many of its products in India, according to an article in the Japanese outlet HOUYHNHNM. The brand is named after 'puebko style,' which means finding beauty in everyday or 'wasted' items. During Tanaka's visit to India, he was reportedly fascinated by many of the utilitarian products, thus inspiring many products in his brand.

However, South Asians were quick to find the design of these bags humorous and ridiculous, with many claiming this was 'cultural appropriation'. Social media users commented on the exorbitant price, saying, "My mother got this thaili (bag) for free after buying groceries," or "If the bag is filled with the namkin it claims to contain, it would very well be worth $48!" 

@Nordstrom @Puebco Oh wow, only $48 for a bag you can snag for ₹150 at any Indian corner shop? Take my money, PUEBCO! Who wouldn’t want to experience the privilege of overpaying 25x for “authenticity”? pic.twitter.com/8Yv5Pp4JqH

— Aishwarya Upadhye (@aishwaryaau) May 21, 2025

Indian call center scammers get called out a lot, but it’s time to call out the scammers selling Indian scraps in high-end US stores. Hey “PUEBCO,” that’s literally a थैली. pic.twitter.com/gBGo6L3XPq

— Strider (@StriderEl) May 21, 2025

Similar Indian utility things 'reimagined' as luxury

This bag is not the only Puebco product that rebrands Indian everyday items into luxury. They also have vibrant striped tote bags that closely resemble the nylon tote bags used in India to carry groceries or tiffin. This bag, marketed as 'Recycled Plastic Striped Bag' retails at about ₹3,000 on the brand's website. 

Another brand, Gunes Swim has bags inspired by these nylon thailas for ₹6,000.

The coffee and tea dispenser we often see at streetside shops has also been turned into a stylish 'Beverage Dispenser' by Puebco, retailing at ₹22,700. Large rusty steel dabbas (containers) that are typically used to store grains is being sold as "Vintage Steel Storage" for ₹10,500.

Similarly, the luxury brand Dior Home also has a set of 'stacking boxes' that closely resemble an everyday item in Indian kitchens: the humble steel tiffin box! While the price of this product is undisclosed, it is being sold on Mantiques Modern as a "dynamic set that will be perfect for a myriad of rooms."

Lungis and dhotis also went global with the haute couture brand Jean Paul Gaultier introducing 'printed beach cover-ups' that closely resemble the staple Indian fashion item. Indians could not help but notice the similarity between the luxurious beach cover-up, retailing at over ₹24,000, and the comfortable lungi. 

In 2017, an Australian man went viral for selling a charpai (a cot, also known as charpoy or khatiya) for A$990. The man named Daniel Bloore first noticed these beds while on his visit to India in 2010 and found them so comfortable, he decided to make one himself in Sydney. "100% Australian made to an ancient Indian design (thousand years old)," he wrote on a flyer.

Who would have thought that we would need a copyright on khatiya/charpoy.. we better file IP claims for Indian 'lota' asap. #charpoy pic.twitter.com/79tql92i1T

— Kanchan Ray (@kanchanray) October 6, 2017

To keep Indian sanctity of #Charpoy intact,wish if Australian Indian's only cud mfg & sell it.If not possible for them, discuss & order me.

— Pankaj (@parpalpkj) October 6, 2017